War-Time Baby Names

Seventy-one years ago the world was on edge as the Allies prepared to storm the beaches of Normandy. Americans waited anxiously to hear word and many towns and cities across the country made plans to sound sirens when word came the invasion had begun. California’s war council, however, decided to forego the sirens because, according to Governor Earl Warren, it would “be bad to celebrate until we’ve won something.”1

Woodall Rodgers, Mayor of Dallas, Texas received a letter from the National Noise Abatement Council criticizing plans to sound sirens across the nation because it would create “unnecessary and needless noise.” Rodgers ignored the criticism and emphasized the city of Dallas would herald the nation’s push into western Europe.

Those sirens began to sound in Texas between 2:00 and 2:30 a.m. on the morning of June 6, 1944. In Houston most retail stores were planning to close and more than four hundred churches opened their doors early that day for twenty-four hours of special prayer for peace and early victory.

NOTE: This article has been SNIPPED. Why? Digging History is now a monthly digital (PDF) magazine. This article will be included in a future edition of Digging History Magazine. Check out the latest issue here: www.digginghistorymag.com or try a subscription here. Want to TRY OUT the magazine? Click the magazine link in the previous sentence, then scroll to the bottom of any page and provide your email and Subscribe. A free issue will be coming your way soon!